Comparing State Laws and Constitutions
Legal researchers are often called upon to compare laws from multiple states on a particular topic. Comparing a few states is straightforward, but a comprehensive survey of state laws is notoriously tedious to compile. Before beginning, it is worthwhile to find out if a survey on your topic already exists. This brief guide lists selected sources that either themselves compare state constitutions and statutes, point to the location of comparisons, or that aggregate state constitutions or statutes together for searching. Because state laws change frequently, previously compiled surveys are quickly outdated. Even with a survey in hand, the careful researcher will ultimately locate and review each statute they wish to compare. For assistance in creating a survey, locating a previously compiled survey, or updating a survey, please consult a reference librarian.
Comparing State Statutes
Many state law topics may be covered by a Uniform Law or Model Act. For an explanation of what these are, and the sources to research them, please consult this guide.
Sources comparing state statutes by topic
50-State Surveys (Westlaw password required)
Contains surveys of state laws on a full range of topics. Search by keyword or browse the Table of Contents. Surveys provide citations, usually linked, but not necessarily explanatory text. Source material is derived from Richard Leiter’s National Survey of State Laws; LRC Multijurisdictional Surveys; as well as surveys compiled by West editors.National Conference of State Legislatures
The National Conference of State Legislatures offers a huge number of substantive, comparative articles on state laws. See the “Issue Areas” tab and browse the wide range of topics and subtopics. For each, activities of states at the forefront of the issue are mentioned, and for many topics there are tables listing state laws and bills with citations.Federation of Tax Administrators: State Comparisons
Provides summaries and tables comparing state tax rates, state revenues and burdens, tax amnesty programs, sales taxation of services and other state tax issues. See also State Tax Facts from the Tax Policy Center for other state tax related comparisons.National Association of Secretaries of State
The National Association of Secretaries of State provide comparative looks at issues related to state voting and elections through news items, fact sheets, and short reports.
Print sources with citations to state law comparisons
Statutes Compared: a U.S., Canadian, Multinational Research Guide to Statutes by Subject, 2nd ed., Reference KF 1.S356 2001
Provides citations to periodically published comparisons of state and Canadian province statutes, such as those appearing in looseleaf publications. It is slightly out of date, but still very useful.Subject Compilation of State Laws, Reference KF 1.S92
Provides citations to law review articles, books, and other sources in which state statutes are compared on a wide variety of topics. Covers 1960 forward, currently published annually. It is non-cumulative so to be thorough, researchers must check many volumes.National Survey of State Laws, Reference Desk KF 386.N37
Provides citations and brief summaries of state laws on a highly selective list of topics.State Law Index: an Index to the Legislation of the States of the U.S. Enacted During the Biennium
Harvard Depository. See "Availability" and click on Request to retrieve from storage using Harvard ID and PIN.
Good only for historical research. Published every two years between 1925-1948. Compared state legislation new during that period.
Print sources with summaries of state laws by topic
Martindale-Hubbell Law Digest Reference KF 190.M36
Part of the famous Martindale-Hubbell legal directory, the Law Digest volumes have uniformly organized explanations of major legal topics in each state with citations.
Law Digests are available for prior years, 1868 forward, in microform. See Martindale-Hubbell U.S. Law Directory Microform Room, Drawer 207Sharp & Alleman's Lawyers Directory Harvard Depository.
See "Availability" and click on Request to retrieve from storage using Harvard ID and PIN.
Good only for historical research. Published 1883 to 1925. The library is missing several volumes. At the beginning of each state, there is an abstract of laws with brief explanations of many topics. See later series covering 1927-1964.
Sources combining state statutes
State Annotated Codes Combined on Westlaw (Westlaw password required)
State Annotated Codes Combined on LexisNexis (LexisNexis password required)
Search across all state statutes by keyword. Use a variety of terms to account for the non-uniform nature of state statutory language.LexisNexis State Capital (Harvard ID and PIN required)
Select Statutes. Search across all state statutes by keyword.
Sources with background on state legislative issues
State Capital Newsletters (Westlaw password Required)
Search through newspapers of selected states that cover legislative matters.LexisNexis State Capital (Harvard ID and PIN required)
Select Issues. Search through either state newspapers for selected states that cover legislative matters or National Conference of State Legislature research materials.National Governors Association
The National Governors Association provides news on current issues in state government. See Center for Best Practices for reports and publications on an extensive list of issues explaining which states are implementing creative solutions to thorny problems. Some tables are descriptive only and do not provide citations.
Comparing State Constitutions
Print sources that compare and/or compile state constitutions
State Constitutions of the United States, 2nd ed. Reference KF4530.M33 2006
Summarizes provisions of state constitutions by topic. An introductory table indicates which constitutions have provisions relating to specific topics. Also contains state constitutions with brief histories for each.Constitutions of the United States, National and State, 2d ed. KF 4530 .C6 1974
Contains all state constitutions. Seven volumes. Frequently updated.
Sources combining state constitutions
State Constitutions Combined on LexisNexis (LexisNexis password required)
State Constitutions Combined on Westlaw (Westlaw password required)
Search across all state constitutions by keyword.LexisNexis State Capital (Harvard ID and PIN required)
Select Statutes then State Constitutions by Keyword. Search across all state constitutions by keyword.
For additional state constitutional research sources, including those that detail amendments over time, see the State Sources, Constitutional section of the U.S. Law Sources research guide.